WHITESNAKE Guitarist JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13 Shares 'Lifeline' Single From Upcoming 'From The Fade' Album

Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, REVOLUTION SAINTS) will release the fourth album of his solo project JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13, "From The Fade", on February 27, 2026 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Once again, guitarist and composer Hoekstra is joined by an elite cast of rock veterans: powerhouse drummer Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO),legendary bassist Tony Franklin (THE FIRM, BLUE MURDER),virtuoso keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, SONS OF APOLLO) and rising vocal sensation Girish Pradhan (GIRISH AND THE CHRONICLES, THE NAIL).

The official music video for "Lifeline", the third single from the "From The Fade" album, can be seen below.

Hoekstra commented: "'Lifeline' is basically a straight-ahead melodic rock song. Girish Pradhan delivers a gritty, powerful lead vocal, and Jeff Scott Soto complements him beautifully with his backing vocals. Vinny Appice and Tony Franklin provide a tasteful groove full of fun accents and hits, while Derek Sherinian provides a killer keyboard solo and the perfect sounds/parts for the song. Once again, with Girish being in India, we opted to have some green screen fun for the video! I hope you enjoy it!"

"From The Fade" delivers a blend of classic hard rock and modern melodic metal, characterized by tight arrangements, technical precision, and emotionally charged performances. Each track reflects Hoekstra's signature songwriting — rooted in tradition but pushing the genre forward with a fresh and contemporary sound.

Joel previously stated about the LP: "The songs were built from the guitar riffs up. Most of the riffs were written during the time I was filling in with ACCEPT, so there is a heavier edge to this album overall. That being said, the album still would be more accurately described as melodic hard rock, not straight-up metal.

"As always with the JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13 albums, I wrote the style of music that inspired me to pick up the guitar and tried to focus on SONGS for you to enjoy, not overly self-indulgent guitar solos", he continued. "HUGE thanks to Vinny Appice, Tony Franklin, Derek Sherinian, Girish Pradhan and Jeff Scott Soto for bringing the songs to life! I hope you all enjoy 'From The Fade' as much as I enjoyed making it!"

"From The Fade" track listing:

01. You Can Give
02. The Fall
03. Lifeline
04. Will You Remember Me
05. Misunderstood
06. Start to Fight
07. All I'd Do
08. Free To Be
09. The End Of Me
10. Quite The Ride

New York-based Hoekstra currently plays for WHITESNAKE and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. Joel is also well-known for his work with Cher, NIGHT RANGER, the Broadway show "Rock Of Ages", his fill-in work with FOREIGNER, ACCEPT, his annual sets on the Monsters Of Rock cruise, recording projects like REVOLUTION SAINTS, ICONIC, viral collaboration videos with the likes of Dino Jelusick, Arnel Pineda, Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and his acoustic shows with Brandon Gibbs.

Exhibiting a knack for music education, he has also been a frequent columnist for Guitar World magazine, taught at Musician's Institute, Rockstars Of Tomorrow, Guitar Workshop Plus, and has often been a counselor at Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp.

Over the years, Joel has released three instrumental solo albums and three critically acclaimed albums with JOEL HOEKSTRA's 13. Most recently, he was the guest guitarist on "Dancing With The Stars" ("hair metal" episode) and played with Cher at her Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction and the "SNL 50" homecoming concert.

"From The Fade" recording lineup:

Joel Hoekstra - guitars
Girish Pradhan - lead vocals
Vinny Appice - drums
Tony Franklin - bass
Derek Sherinian - keyboards
Jeff Scott Soto - backing vocals

Photo credit: Mike Polito